A number of luminaries from the global open water swimming community have set records swimming around Manhattan Island, a majority who have been inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame:

• Robert Dowling (MSF bio here, IMSHOF Honor Swimmer), USA 13 hours 45 minutes in September 1915
• Ida Elionsky (MSF bio here, IMSHOF Honor Swimmer), USA 11 hours 35 minutes in September 2016
• Byron Summers, USA 8 hours 56 minutes in September 1927
• Bill Goll (MSF bio here, IMSHOF Honor Swimmer) USA 8 hours 39 minutes in July 1930
• Bill Sadlo (MSF bio here, IMSHOF Honor Swimmer), USA 8 hours 38 minutes in July 1930
• Sam Shields, USA  8 hours 36 minutes in July 1930
• Diana Nyad (MSF bio here, IMSHOF Honor Swimmer), USA 7 hours 57 minutes in October 1975
• Drury Gallagher (IMSHOF Honor Administrator), USA 7 hours 14 minutes in July 1982
• Paul Asmuth (MSF bio here), USA 6 hours 47 minutes 58 seconds in August 1983
• Drury Gallagher (IMSHOF Honor Administrator), USA 6 hours 42 minutes in September 1983
• Shelley Taylor-Smith (MSF bio here, IMSHOF Honor Swimmer), Australia 6 hours 12 minutes 29 seconds in October 1985
• Shelley Taylor-Smith (MSF bio here, IMSHOF Honor Swimmer), Australia 5 hours 45 minutes 25 seconds in July 1995
• Oliver Wilkinson (MSF bio here), Australia 5 hours 44 minutes 2 seconds in September 2011
• Andy Donaldson (MSF bio here, IMSHOF Honor Swimmer), Scotland 5 hours 41 minutes 48 seconds in September 2024
• David Olvera López, Mexico 5 hours 34 minutes 58 seconds in June 2025

But the most current record holder, 26-year-old David Olvera López hails from a small town of San Luis Potosí in Mexico (World Aquatics bio here, @thefreezewiz). He dreamed big, worked hard, and broke Andy Donaldson’s 20 Bridges overall speed record for swimming 45.9 km around Manhattan Island in New York by nearly 7 minutes. Olvera, guided by the veteran escort paddler Alex Arévalo of New York Open Water, set the standard – that is the subject of a riveting new documentary film.

Limitless Manhattan.

Watch it.

You will be mesmorized by his passion, inspired by his hard work, and smile at the joy of seeing Olvera realize his dream.

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